Torpedo-projecting apparatus for submarine and submersible vessels.



H. SMU'LDERS. TORPEDO PROJEGTING APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE AND SUBMBRSIBLEvBssELs. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1907- wn-uz sses INVENTOR, A H EN R1$5M ULDERS.

A'H: brnegg 1n: NORRIS rsfzns ca., WASNINGYON, n. c.

PATENTED OCT. 22, 1907.

HENRI SMULDERS, OF SOHIEDAM, NEAR ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.

TORPEDO-PROJEGTING APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE AND SUBMERSIBLE VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed iIanuary 29,1907. Serial No. 354,603.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRI SMULDERs, engineer, a subject of the Queen ofNetherlands, residing at Schiedam, near Rotterdam, Netherlands, haveinvented a new and useful Torpedo-Projecting Apparatus for Submarine andSubmersible Vessels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to an apparatus for projecting torpedoes fromsubmarine and submersible vessels, which is operated by means ofcompressed air or any other fluid under pressure. 7

The arrangement is illustrated diagramatically in the accompanyingdrawing. I

It consists of a tube a of suitable shape and dimensions in the interiorof which there is formed a groove designed to guide the tail b of thetorpedo when the latter is in motion. The tube a is carried by two ormore arms 0 movably. jointed at one end to the hull or shell d and atthe other end to the tube itself. 0, f, g are cylinders for compressedair (or other suitable fluid) the function of which is hereinafterdescribed. The first cylinder e is movably jointed at tto the hull,while the ehd h of its piston rod is movably jointed to the tube a. Thiscylinder e may be arranged below the tubular casing a as shown in thedrawing, or it may be placed in any other suitable position relativelyto the said casing. The compressed air supplied from the interior of thesubmarine through a duct i, acts first on the piston of the cylinder 0.The apparatus turns on the points k k, and in this movement comes abovethe wave-guard Z. A fixed buffer or stop m arrests one of the two arms 0in its movement before it has reached the vertical position, therebylimiting the rise of the apparatus a. At this moment the piston of thecylinder 6 has moved beyond the orifice n of the duct 0 whichestablishes communication between the cylinders e and f The compressedair passes through the pipe 0 and acts upon the piston of the cylinderf. The piston moves down and thereby retracts the bolt p which is fixedto the piston, and which has up till now held the tail of the torpedostationary in the apparatus, and at the same time releases the safetybrake. As soon as the piston has reached the end of its stroke theorifice of the pipe q is uncovered in its turn. The compressed airpassing through q, forces the piston of the cylinder 9 forwards andthereby causes the torpedo to move forward a corresponding distance, sayabout 200 millimeters. In this movement the air inlet lever T whichexists in all torpedoes,

strikes a finger s fixed to the apparatus and is moved back so as toopen the air inlet valve, in the manner usual in most torpedo projectingapparatus. The torpedo then starts and moves out of the tube. When thetorpedo has passed out, the compressed air piping is connected toexhaust and the apparatus by its own Weight moves back into its positionof rest on its supports.

The arrangement that has just been described is not essential to theinvention and may be varied in' many ways, For instance, to cite onlyone example, the

- same result may be achieved without raising the tube a 'stead of thatof raising the tube a, this function being really the same, namely theopening of a passage for the torpedo.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the best meansI know of carrying the same into practical effect, I claim:-

1. A torpedo projecting apparatus for submarine and submersible vessels,operated by means of compressed air or other fluid under pressure, saidapparatus comprising a metal tube adapted to receive the torpedo, armsmovably jointed in a suitable manner to the hull of the boat andcarrying the said tube, three cylinders whose pistons are adaptedrespectively to raise the tube above the waveguards, to release thedevice holding the torpedo, and to produce forward movement of thelatter.

2. A torpedo projecting apparatus for submarine and submersible vessels,comprising a tube, three cylinders, piping adapted to form communicationbetween the said cylinders, a supply of fluid under pressure adapted tocommunicate with the first cylinder, and an arresting de vice such thatthe piston of one cylinder releases the said arresting device as soon asthe apparatus has been raised to the desired height by the piston ofanother cylinder, the piston of the third cylinder then producing theforward movement of the torpedo in the said tube, this forward movementhaving the result of opening the air supply valve and starting themovement of the torpedo.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRI SMULDERS.

Witnesses:

JAcoUns NOOLEBOOM, C. J. PLAT.

